Datebook: Brazil artist books, underground photos & Guerrilla Girls

The Mistake Room in downtown Los Angeles is featuring work by a pair of South American-born artists, including Brazilian Paulo Bruscky, who is known for his clever actions and hand-made artist books. Seen here: "Pátria," from 1993. (Paulo Bruscky / The Mistake room)

Photographic surveys of underground communities, a Brazilian artist's books and films, a fictional perfume campaign and an array of naughty erotic drawings. Plus: maps made of wax, art in a pit and a performance by artist-activists the Guerrilla Girls. It's all going down all around SoCal:

"Brian Weil 1979-95: Being in the World" at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The first retrospective of the photographer, whose work in photography, prints and video was devoted to highlighting members of insular and invisible communities. (He would often spend years with his subjects.) The show gathers images from various series devoted to sexual fetishists, Miami homicide detectives, members of New York's Hasidic community and more. Opens Saturday at 3 p.m. and runs through April 18. Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica, smmoa.org.

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"Paulo Bruscky: Artist Books & Films," 1970-2013, and "Vivian Suter: Panajachel," at the Mistake Room. In the Arts District, the Mistake Room is turning over its galleries to a pair of South American-born artists. Bruscky is a key Brazilian conceptualist, who came of age during the military dictatorship there, where he staged wry actions — such as standing around with a sign that asked what art is good for — but also created a large body of mail art, artist books and Super 8 films. Also on view will be the abstract paintings of the Argentina-born Suter, who now lives and works in Guatemala. Opens Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and runs through March 14. 1811 E. 20th St., downtown Los Angeles, tmr.la.

"Mike Kuchar: Saints and Sinners" at François Ghebaly. The underground filmmaker is also an artist, known for homoerotic drawings that are as salacious as there are fantastical and hilarious — depicting studly gladiators, well-endowed dinosaur hunters and a Viking with a very large, um, weapon. It's as if someone took Tom of Finland and mashed it up with the bright palette and outrageous scenarios of a superhero comic. In other words, totally NSFW. Opens Saturday at 7 p.m. and runs through Feb. 14. 2245 E. Washington Blvd., downtown Los Angeles, ghebaly.com.

Jason McLean, "Soda Gardner," at Wilding Cran Gallery. Drawing and painting and random found objects find their way into the bright work of this New York-based artist, known for fusing surreal landscapes, abstract doodles and cartoon-like figures. Opens Saturday at 6 p.m. and runs through Feb. 21. 939 S. Santa Fe Ave., downtown Los Angeles, wildingcran.com.

Kon Trubkovich, "House of the Rising Sun," at Ohwow Gallery. The Moscow-born artist presents a series of new paintings that are based on footage of President Ronald Reagan's 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, with the static of the transmission distorting the clarity of the images. Trubkovich will also have a video work culled from online footage of Russians singing "House of the Rising Sun." Opens Saturday at 6 p.m., and runs through Feb. 14. 937 La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, oh-wow.com.

Glen Kaino, "Labyrinths," at Honor Fraser. A series of new installations by the L.A.-based artist examines ideas of location and memory: maps reconfigured into origami, others rendered in wax and then melted down, and a 40-foot wall made of wax cinder blocks that creates a hard boundary that is also fragile and ephemeral. Runs through Feb. 14. 2622 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City, honorfraser.com.

"Mending Wall," a group show, at The Pit. This relatively young gallery in Glendale (it is only a few months old) has a worthwhile group show that also looks at ideas of construction, with an impressive lineup of works that features the architectonic photographs of John Houck, gritty works on paper by Huma Bhaba and ethereal paintings by Jake Kean Mayman that explode machine-like bits in subtle pastel shades. There is even an assemblage by Sean Kennedy displayed in a pit in the floor — the unusual space from which the gallery takes its name. Runs through Feb. 22. 918 Ruberta Ave., Glendale, the-pit.la.

"In Focus: Play," at the Getty Museum.A series of 20th century images that capture humans of all ages in acts of gaming, carousing, celebration and vacation. Through May 10. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, getty.edu.

"Space Program," at Steve Turner. Turner unveils his new Hollywood exhibition space with a group show by his stable of artists — including sculpture by Yung Jake and paintings by Deborah Grant. The standout is a behemoth 20-foot collaged piece about corruption and drug war violence by Camilo Restrepo. Runs through Feb. 7. 6830 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, steveturner.la.

"Elemental: Seeing the Light," at Descanso Gardens. Taking on the subject of light, this group show looks at the ways in which artists — from light and space stalwart Larry Bell to photographer Nancy Macko — are inspired by ethereal rays. Opening reception 3 p.m. Sunday. Runs through April 5. 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, descansogardens.org.

Ben Berlow at Farago. A new gallery space shows paintings by the L.A.-born/New York-based Ben Berlow, who often works with bits of found paper as his canvas. Through Friday. 224 W. 8th St., downtown Los Angeles, farago.xyz.